In daily life, many middle-aged and young individuals who are busy and stressed tend to attribute any symptoms of fatigue or soreness in the waist and knees to “kidney deficiency.” As a result, they impulsively begin searching for kidney-tonifying health products. Even a decline in sexual function is often linked to kidney deficiency, which has become an unwritten rule for many men.
In fact, among men with sexual dysfunction, the phenomenon of reckless self-treatment is quite common. According to a survey, when men experience sexual dysfunction, 44.2% of them first think of searching online for the cause, while 36% look for answers in books. Following this kind of “self-diagnosis,” many secretly buy aphrodisiacs to supplement their condition. However, blind supplementation may lead to worsening symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
“It is important to emphasize that sexual dysfunction should not be equated with kidney deficiency.” The concept of “kidney” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is vastly different from that in Western medicine. In Western terminology, the kidneys are important organs of the human urinary system, primarily responsible for excreting metabolites. Kidney disease in Western medicine refers to diseases of the kidneys themselves, generally caused by various factors, including acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, acute and chronic pyelonephritis, acute and chronic renal failure, and nephrotic syndrome, which are serious lesions of kidney tissues. Equating these with **decline, impotence, and premature ejaculation as sexual dysfunctions is erroneous.
In TCM, the kidneys are seen as the foundation of innate vitality, governing growth and development; they store essence, control reproduction; manage water, and oversee excretion; they govern bones and produce marrow; and they regulate breathing. Thus, the kidney functions discussed in TCM encompass a wide range, covering at least five areas, nearly including the various aspects of the endocrine system, reproductive system, urinary system, musculoskeletal system, and respiratory system as described in Western medicine, not limited to just the urinary system. According to TCM theory, the main physiological functions of the kidneys are to store essence and qi, manage water, and regulate breathing, which are crucial for human growth, development, and reproduction, as well as the balance of yin and yang throughout the body. Sufficient kidney essence enables normal development, good hearing and vision, a clear mind, quick thinking, healthy hair, and strong sexual function.
So, since “kidney deficiency” is not equivalent to “kidney disease,” how should we understand kidney deficiency? “Kidney deficiency” refers to a deficiency of kidney essence, qi, yin, and yang, which is a concept in TCM. When we talk about “kidney deficiency,” it can indicate a decline in the kidney’s functions related to growth and development, manifesting as “five delays” in infants or premature aging in middle-aged individuals; it can also refer to weakened reproductive function of the kidneys, leading to poor sexual ability and infertility in both men and women; it can even reflect poor kidney water regulation function resulting in urinary disorders such as oliguria, polyuria, or frequent urination. All these issues relate to kidney deficiency. Thus, the TCM concept of “kidney deficiency” is very broad, encompassing related diseases in the urinary system, reproductive system, endocrine metabolism system, nervous system, as well as the digestive, blood, and respiratory systems.
“In fact, from the TCM perspective, issues with sexual function are somewhat related to the kidneys, but not entirely correlated.” TCM holds that the causes of sexual dysfunction can stem from either kidney yin deficiency or kidney yang deficiency. Therefore, when supplementing the kidneys, it is essential to clarify the underlying reasons and differentiate the type of supplementation. Among the symptoms typical of kidney yang deficiency are cold intolerance, waist pain, and fatigue. Kidney yang is the fundamental source of yang energy in the body; if it is deficient, the warming function of the body’s yang energy diminishes, resulting in cold extremities, a pale complexion, lethargy, frequent nocturnal urination, **indifference, impotence, and diarrhea. Conversely, when kidney yin is deficient, due to a lack of body fluids, the body does not receive adequate nourishment, often leading to symptoms resembling heat, characterized by dryness of mouth and tongue, heat in the palms and soles, anxiety, and night sweats, making the patient prone to premature ejaculation and spermatorrhea.
From the TCM standpoint, sexual dysfunction is mainly classified into types such as obstruction of the vessels, kidney yang deficiency, combined spleen and kidney deficiency, liver qi stagnation, and damp-heat descending. The incidence of these types, especially in younger patients, far exceeds that of kidney deficiency, so in clinical practice, it is essential to differentiate and treat accordingly, rather than merely emphasizing kidney supplementation. Furthermore, there are other types in clinical practice, such as cold coagulation in the liver vessels, fear injuring the kidneys, weak kidney yang, and excess yin yang fire, which should be treated differently.
